Remembering
by NiceFwoops
Summary: Mad-Eye remembers the first war, and all those who are lost, with no one to remember about.


Written for the quidditch league comp as keeper for the falcons. Prompt was "have your OTP do their last..." I don't really have an OTP, so I picked Fabian/caradoc just caus. I like it a lot.

* * *

"Tell me about the old days."

No one has said that to him, in truth. He wishes they would. They are so enveloped in this war that they have all but forgotten the past, all except Black, who lives in a world of black and white as he tries to relive the past, forgetting the way it ended the first time.

Mad-Eye has not forgotten. He will never forget, not even if he gets to be as old as Albus Dumbledore, which he knows he won't.

No, he hasn't forgotten the old days, when instead of tired old souls and kids still in school, more than half of them were twenty-somethings determined to build a world for their children to grow up in. They did, he muses. Most of them didn't live to see it.

Alive and Frank, alive but not really. Benjy. Dorcas. James and Lily. Marlene and her family. Edgar and his family. Sirius's life, and Remus's happiness. Gideon.

Fabian and Caradoc.

Why did no one ever ask him about them? Why did no one remember them?

Mad-Eye asks himself this every single meeting until one day, Molly Weasley approaches him, and in a soft, tremulous tone, asks to know if he knows anything about her brothers that she doesn't.

Finally.

* * *

"I'm afraid."

"So am I. But this is something we have to do. You know that."

"Don't put words in my mouth."

Fabian looked away from Caradoc and blushed. They were sitting on a table in the Hogwarts library. If the librarian knew, she'd pitch a fit. If she knew what they'd been doing, not even the Headmaster could have spared them from her wrath.

It was strange, seeing them there. They were older than twenty, and too old for Hogwarts. They were out of place amongst the books and scrolls. They knew it, and they didn't care.

"Hey, Caradoc, I was only messing with you."

"I know," replied the blonde, smiling. "I was just thinking."

"Dumbledore asked for you especially. He remembers how good you were at Defense."

"As good as you can be with a revolving door for a teacher."

Fabian laughed. "Maybe if we defeat Voldemort, we'll free the students of this school from the teacher whiplash, huh?"

"Don't you mean 'if we kill Voldemort?'"

Fabian was caught off guard, his mouth hanging slightly open. Then he leaned over to kiss Caradoc, their mouths pressed together in something akin to desperation.

"Yes," he said. "If we kill Voldemort."

"I'll do it," said Caradoc. "I'll join."

Fabian nodded slightly, realizing what they were doing, maybe for the first time. Together they slid off the table and left the library, off to join Dumbledore and the rest of the new Order in his office. Neither of them saw a gnarled old man slip out after them.

* * *

"Cards, anyone?"

Fabian waved a deck at Moody, Caradoc, and Marlene. Marlene continued reading her book, but if you looked close you could see a easy smile.

"I'm not playing if I have to play on the floor," said Moody gruffly. "Men my age don't get up that easily."

"What are you, forty-five? Not too old then."

"Tell me that when you get here."

Fabian rolled his eyes and shot a pleading look at Caradoc, who sighed and shifted his huge bulk to the floor.

"What game?"

"I dunno," said Fabian. "Who do you wanna play?"

Moody shook his head. "The way you go on, you'd think you were safe at home."

"Isn't that why they call it a safe house?" said Fabian innocently.

Moody grumbled under his breath and picked up one of Marlene's books.

"Maybe he's right, Fab," said Caradoc quietly. "Being here makes me nervous."

"You're nervous everywhere," said Fabian with a quick grin.

Caradoc didn't appreciate that. "Go Fish."

"What?" said Fabian incredulously.

"That's what I want to play. It's a Muggle game."

"But..."

"It's also American."

"I know what it is! Why do you wanna play that?"

"No reason," said Caradoc, shrugging. "Just wanna play something you might have a chance in beating me in."

This time, Marlene's smile was huge.

* * *

"I can't believe you made me come here."

"We weren't gonna let you spend Christmas alone," said Caradoc warmly, clasping a hand on Moody's shoulder before heading to the kitchen to check on their food.

Moody sighed and sat down. "I don't understand why that's so frowned upon. I wouldn't have to listen to all your incessant chatter."

"You know you love us, Alastor," said Gideon, smirking.

"I don't know anything of the sort. I wouldn't have come if I'd know it would only be the three of you."

"You so would have," said Fabian affectionately.

"Dinner's done," said Caradoc, returning to the room holding a magnificent smelling bird of some sort.

"Thank Merlin I have you," said Fabian. "Neither of us can cook for shit."

"Or clean," added Caradoc, setting the bird on the table as they all flocked to the table. The apartment was very messy indeed, with clothes thrown everywhere and empty butterbeer (and firewhiskey) bottles shoved in corners here and there. Thick red hair seemed to coat every surface.

"Merry Christmas!" announced Fabian as he pulled up a chair, ignoring the loud screech the legs made on the floor.

"Merry Christmas!" echoed Caradoc, Gideon, and Moody.

Fabian leaned over to Caradoc and kissed him on the mouth, leaving Caradoc flustered and slightly pink.

"Fabian, we have company!" he spluttered, blushing in Moody's direction.

Moody did nothing but laugh.

* * *

"M-Merlin, Caradoc, whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it!"

The only answer was a throaty chuckle and another moan. There was a thump against the closet door as though something (or someone) had hit it very hard. Really, first a library and now a closet after the Order meeting?

"Hah...ah...Caradoc..."

A second chuckle.

"No...wait...I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"No matter what...I love you."

"Love you too, Fab."

Moody took a quiet step away from the door and walked away.

* * *

"N-No. This can't be."

"I'm sorry, son," said Moody, a lump in his throat as he saw the twin reactions of the twin brothers. "We haven't heard word from him in three weeks. He was supposed to report back two weeks ago. It's not looking good."

"I'm not your son," snarled Fabian, pushing past Moody to storm off. Gideon stayed longer, looking at Moody with sad eyes before thanking him and following his twin.

Moody sighed as he watched them go. He'd liked Caradoc Dearborn.

* * *

He saw their bodies with his own eyes. There were four Death Eaters lying still and silent beside them; only the fifth had lived. Fabian and Gideon lay in pools of blood, back to back, as they had lived. Gideon's face was twist in a grimace, but Fabian's was peaceful.

"Go to him," muttered Moody. "Where the hell you are, go to him."

He wiped the blood off his boots and left.

* * *

"That's all I know, Molly."

He face was still and tight, but she wasn't crying. She pressed her lips together.

"Thank you, Mad-Eye."

"I hope it was enough," he said thickly.

She nodded and returned to her cooking, hands shaking. As he stared at the back of her thick red hair, it wasn't her that cried.

* * *

This feature their last "time" together as well as their last Christmas...do I get double point? :p


End file.
